There and Back Again
by Xengo
Summary: And so it was time to leave. However, an odd feeling keeps Ash from leaving Alto Mare...
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Pokemon, and if I did, I probably wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Whelp, this is my first foray into the world of fanfiction, and it's an Altoshipping fic, which happens to be my favorite pairing. But anyway, I hope you enjoy it, and please leave a review and any critiques you may have. Thank you, and God bless.

* * *

It happened so fast; Ash didn't even have time to understand what happened.

Bianca (or was it Latias?) signaled for them to stop before the boat that was carrying him, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu went out to sea. She had had a roll of paper in her hand, and was panting when she had caught up to them.

"Hey…" Ash had said. He though it was Bianca but he wasn't sure, for the one thing that distinguished Latias' human form and Bianca, the white beret, was missing. She handed him the picture, which Ash later found out was a beautiful drawing of him and Pikachu, and then, she had…kissed him.

Ash stared at her in shock. Misty and Brock were equally as shocked (although Brock felt jealousy as well), but Pikachu smiled happily, apparently knowing something his trainer didn't. Then, before Ash could say anything else, she ran away into the winding streets of Alto Mare.

Brock and Misty broke him out of his stupor, and told him to get on the boat (with a bit of a teasing tone in their voices.) Ash blushed, rubbed the back of his head and walked towards the boat.

Then, right before he got on, he stopped. A strange feeling of longing gnawed at him in his chest, almost like there was hole that his heart was desperately trying to fill. He had never felt like this before; even the feeling of losing in the Indigo League was completely different than this. Ash stared off into space, trying to figure out where the feeling was coming from. Almost absent mindedly, he opened the roll of paper, and looked at the picture of him and Pikachu.

"Hey, Ash! I thought we already brought you back down to Earth!" Brock said with a smirk. "Does one of us have to go over there to snap out of it, or do we have to tell Pikachu to thundershock you?"

"Hey!" Ash yelled indignantly. He then shook his head, and tried to take another step. The feeling then intensified, so much so that Ash nearly tripped and face-planted into the boat. He stopped again, a frown on his face.

Misty, clearly seeing that something was wrong, looked at Ash with concern.

"Ash? What's wrong? You looked really troubled." She said softly.

" I don't know..." Ash replied, looking at Misty now with a puzzled look on his face. " I have this strange feeling in my chest. I don't think I've ever felt this before."

Brock made a thinking pose, putting his hand on his chin. Then, he snapped his fingers.

"Ash, why don't you see if you can find Latias…or Bianca…or whoever that was," Brock said, his voice serious.

Ash cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Huh? Why? And what about the boat?"

"We'll tell the captain to wait. Now go on then, we will wait right here for you." Brock replied.

Ash paused for a moment, and the feeling seemed to quiet somewhat, as if it was pleased with this course of action. For some reason he felt…relieved about going to see the girl.

And if his hunch was correct, then he knew where to look to find her.

"Come on Pikachu." Ash said to his constant traveling companion, and best friend. In response, Pikachu nodded with a "Pika!" and hopped onto Ash shoulder. Then, the two of them walked off into the winding streets of Alto Mare.

* * *

"I can't believe it took us 15 minutes to find this place again!"

Sure, Ash knew his sense of direction was a little off, but surely he would have figured out how to get to the garden faster by now.

(Well Ash, with your sense of direction, what did you expect?) Pikachu said with a smile. Ash grunted in response. He may not have understood what Pikachu said, but he could guess it had something to do with his aforementioned sense of direction.

"Thanks for coming with me though," Ash said with a smile. "But anyway, lets do this." Ash then walked into the wall, and into the dark tunnel that connected to the secret garden. The sight of the garden, even after going into it before, was still breathtaking. Pokémon played in the water, and in the trees. Ash felt that it was one of those places that no matter how many times you went there; it still would never cease to look beautiful.

The girl (and Ash was sure it was Latias at this point) was busy swinging on the swing, her back turned to the two of them.

"Hey, Latias!" Ash cried, out, waving his hand and smiling. Latias turned around, and Ash watched as her expression changed from depression, to shock, and finally to joy. She ran from the swing, changed out of her human form, and proceeded to tackle Ash.

"Ah! Latias!" Ash cried while giggling; Latias had proceeded to nuzzle Ash, and her soft feathers were tickling the boy silly. The feeling in his chest swelled as well, and he felt…nice as Latias continued to nuzzle him affectionately. Ash then motioned for Latias to stop, and when she did, he stood up.

"Latias…" he said as his face grew serious, "that was you that kissed me, wasn't it?"

Latias blushed, and cooed "La!" in response. Ash took that as a yes, and blushed. So it was her. The feeling grew.

"Well…thank you. And thanks for the picture as well! Did Bianca ask you to deliver it?" Latias nodded in response, and nuzzled him again. She then pulled back and stared at him, and Ash was taken aback by the adoration in her eyes, as well as the happiness that must have come from her seeing him again. He blushed in response, the Butterfrees in his stomach going crazy.

"Okay then," he said while rubbing the back of his head, "tell Bianca I said thank you. And thank you for delivering it, Latias." Latias nodded in reply. Now, however, her face showed a hint of confusion.

_What is he doing back here? _She thought. _Did he stay back while his friends left? _Latias couldn't help but hope that he had decided to stay.

"Um…. I guess I will see you around…" Ash said uncertainly. The feeling of longing returned, and he felt…wrong about leaving, almost as if he couldn't leave.

(Hey Ash, are you alright?) Pikachu said quietly, noting that the frown that had appeared on Ash's face before had returned.

Ash could detect the concern in Pikachu's pokespeak, and nodded half-heartedly. He then looked at Latias, and noted the concern on her face.

"I'm fine." He mumbled. "Anyway…my friends are waiting for me back at the dock…" It was at that point Ash realized that he was at a loss for words as to how to say goodbye to the eon dragoness. She was staring at him with such concern that he could feel it. Ash took a deep breath.

"…See you around…" Ash said quietly. It had taken a massive effort to say those words. Something about him just didn't want to leave, and it had made saying those words painful. Ash turned around and started to leave.

He had only taken one step when Latias shot out a claw and grabbed his hand tightly. Ash stopped and looked back, and was greeted with the sight of Latias looking at him, her eyes filled with longing.

(Please…don't go. Please don't.) Latias cried out, tears starting to fill her eyes.

Pikachu noted Latia's words with surprise. He had gathered that Latias liked Ash; her interactions with him in garden when they first came to it still stuck out in his mind. He also remembered when she had saved Ash after he fell into the river when the Aerodactyl from the museum had destroyed the gondola Ash was riding on. She had cradled him in her arms after she had shook him awake, her eyes full of concern. After Ash had said thank you, she had blushed in happiness, further solidifying his suspicions that Latias had fallen in love with his trainer. He couldn't blame her, however; Ash was naturally caring to virtually all people and pokémon, and could never turn a blind eye to someone that needed help. That particular trait had been exemplified when he had saved Latias from Annie and Oakley's pokémon early in their visit to Alto Mare.

At the same time, Latias was hoping Ash would stay. With her brother Latios gone, she needed somebody to cry on, to comfort her. Most of all, she wanted to be with him; after all that he had done for her and her brother, she could never imagine herself with anyone else.

Plain and simple, she loved him, dearly.

Ash stared into her eyes. He could tell she wanted him to stay, and the feeling in his chest swelled in response; a deep feeling of longing, something hat he had never before experienced, as storming in his heart.

And he knew, right then, that he couldn't bear to leave as well. He didn't know why, but he just couldn't.

_That's where this feeling came from, _Ash thought. _But…why don't I want to leave?_

It was at that point Ash had an idea. He smiled. It was an idea that would work out for both him and Latias.

"Latias…let's go see Brock and Misty for a moment." Ash said, smiling.

Latias cocked her head in confusion, and then wiped her eyes with her arm. She also smiled in response. Her secret love's brilliant grin was enough to calm her down.

She then transformed back into her human form, grabbed Ash's hand, and began to lead him towards the docks. Pikachu smiled slightly; he didn't know what Ash was thinking, but he had faith that whatever it was, it would make things better.

* * *

After as short walk, they finally reached the dock, and Misty, Brock, and the boat were still there. Misty and Brock were surprised at the fact that 'Bianca' was with Ash and Pikachu.

"Hey Ash, you're back! And you brought…um…" Misty started, but wavered; she didn't know that 'Bianca' was actually Latias.

"It's Latias," Ash said, finishing her sentence. "Any way, guys, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Ash, what is it?" Brock replied, really curious as to what Ash was going to ask.

_I wonder what it is. _Thought Pikachu and Latias.

"Well, I was wondering if maybe we could stay in Alto Mare a bit longer." Ash said smiling.

Brock and Misty were surprised at this, Misty more so than Brock. Brock had an inkling that something like this would happen, but he had wondered whether or not Ash would actually do something, considering that Ash was incredibly dense when it came to all things love. Pikachu was surprised as well, but happy that Ash had made such a suggestion.

Latias, on the other hand, was shocked at what Ash said. He wanted to stay. She had a chance to be with him longer! Shock quickly gave way to joy, and she immediately hugged him tightly, and large grin on her face. She even nuzzled him as well.

Ash blushed at the contact, but smiled as well, happy that Latias was in good spirits. One of his favorite things about the eon dragoness was just how happy and bubbly she could be; he was happy to see that side of her again.

"Well, Ash, I'm fine with that," Misty replied after getting over her surprise, "But are you okay with taking a break from your journey?"

"Same here, Ash, I'm fine with it. After all, Alto Mare has so many beautiful ladies!" Brock said, hearts in his eyes. Misty rolled her eyes at that. "But," he continued, "are you okay with taking a break?"

"Yea, I am. Besides, I just feel…comfortable with staying longer. And plus we get to hang out with our friends Bianca, Lorenzo, and Latias more!" Ash said in response. Latias cooed in reply with a grin, and Pikachu smiled as well, with a "Pika!"

"Well alright then. Let me just tell the captain. Anyway, how about all of you head over to Lorenzo's? I'll go get rooms ready at the Pokémon center. I'll see you guys in little while," said Brock, as he walked into the cabin of the boat.

* * *

The walk back to Lorenzo's was an uneventful one. Misty was happy about the chance to stay in Alto Mare longer; she loved the sights of the city. Latias was just happy with the chance to be with Ash, and so stuck close to him as they walked back to the house.

When the arrived, Lorenzo and Bianca were quite surprised; they had thought that Ash had left by now. Ash explained the situation to them, explaining that he didn't want to leave, and omitting the more specific reason why. Lorenzo smiled.

"Well Ash, it's certainly nice to have you stay. It seems Latias is especially happy about your decision," Lorenzo noted with a smile, seeing Latias casting sidelong glances at Ash, a smile on her face. Bianca noted this, and planned on asking Latias about that later. She had never seen her friend act like this, but she did have an idea as to why.

"Thanks Lorenzo." Ash replied.

Brock arrived a little later, bringing the news that their rooms were ready. Lorenzo invited them to stay for dinner, which Ash enthusiastically agreed to. Brock and Misty were more than happy as well, and Latias was very happy with the chance to spend more time with Ash. She then transformed back into Pokémon form; she couldn't eat in her human form.

Latias floated next to Ash during dinner, and when Ash and company had finished, they said goodbye and left. Bianca and Lorenzo both noted how Latias seemed less…"Latias-like" after Ash had left. They both looked at each other, and figured that Latias had taking more than just a liking to the trainer.

That night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Ash lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. The feeling in his chest had settled down, but not in the sense that it had disappeared; it had been satiated. Being around Latias seemed to calm it, and in the end, seemed to calm him down as well. For some reason, the eon dragoness always seemed to cheer him up, and her shows of affection, such as nuzzling him, felt… more than good to him. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

Finally deciding to think about this more in the morning, he quietly said good night to everyone (and Latias, even though she wasn't there), and went to sleep.

Unknown to Ash, Latias was awake as well, contemplating the same thing, except from a different angle.

_I truly love Ash,_ she thought, _and… I'm so happy that he decided to stay longer!_ She thought joyfully. _But… I don't know if he will love me back. _This was the biggest hurdle for Latias. She was a pokémon, a legendary at that, and Ash was a human. A human whom she adored, but still a human. How could it possibly work out? Could it?

That night, Latias made a wish; A wish that somehow, someway, she and Ash could be together. She wanted to be there for him, to take care of him, forever. She wished with all her heart that it could come true.

Then, she fell asleep, unknown to the fact that there was someone just arriving in Alto Mare who could make that wish come true.


	2. Chapter 2: And So It Begins

I do not own Pokemon

And here is chapter 2! This one took a lot of work, but I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Prepare for the warm and fuzzies guys, because they are already here. As always, read and review, and feel free to tell me how I can improve! Thank you, and God bless.

* * *

It was during the night that he descended upon Alto Mare, which he had always considered one of his favorite cities. The atmosphere, the sea, the Pokémon, the people, they all came together to create a scene of tranquility and peace. This place was truly one of the jewels of the world.

Team Rockets spies had, however, ruined part of that image; they had been a major cause of the death of one the cities guardians, Latios, someone whom along with his sister Latias he had always been proud of. He had died valiantly, however, to protect the city and his sister, and his death had not been in vain; the city survived, and peace returned. A few individuals had also assisted in helping save the city as well, one of which being Ash Ketchum, a boy who had four times before encountered a legendary and helped it, or fought it, in some way.

But in the end, everything was peaceful again, and so he set out to begin his nightly stroll, when he heard something.

_Please…if there is anyway…I want to be with him, to care for him. I want my love for him to…have a happy ending. So if there is someone listening, please…let me be with Ash._

His head cocked in the direction of the garden, and knew that it was Latias. Indeed, he recognized her voice. But what stuck out to him was the pleading tone in her voice, and whom she was thinking of.

_Ah. So it seems that has happened._

Love between pokémon and human, more than just love from trainer to partner, was not unheard of, but it was rare. Most pokémon knew such love was unlikely to ever bear fruit, but every once in a while, that kind of love appeared. And in Latias's case, her love was pure. She truly loved Ash with all her heart.

Taking pity upon her, he decided on a course of action. Perhaps it seemed…odd. But he knew what he had to do.

Turning his head towards the pokémon center, Arceus began to make his way towards Ash. Work needed to be done.

* * *

Sleep did not come easy to Ash that night, but late into the night he finally drifted off to sleep.

Only to find himself in a very strange dream.

He was floating in a mosaic of colors. It had to be the most surreal dream he had ever had; most of his dream included going on massive battling winning streaks, winning the league championship, and dominating Gary all the time (those had been his favorites.) This, however, was completely new. He also couldn't help but notice that he was the only one in the dream; usually Brock and Misty were here, cheering him on in battles. He also noticed how red and white colors seemed to be appearing frequently. He _almost _felt he knew why, but…

"Hello, Ash Ketchum."

Ash turned around, and was greeted with the sight of a glowing orb of light, with a slight pink tint. It floated lazily in the mass of colors that was his dreamscape at the moment, and it seemed to give off an otherworldly glow. The voice that came from it was deep, and full of authority. Ash, even though the ball of light was a bit smaller than him, suddenly felt very small.

"Who…who are you?" Ash questioned hesitantly.

"My name is not important" the orb replied, its voice echoing slightly. "What is important right now, however, is that I am here to test you, Ash Ketchum."

"Test?" Ash replied, very puzzled. Out of all the things a glowing orb of light could want with him in his mind, a test was not one of the things that came to mind.

"Yes." The orb replied. "There is one in this world who has very strong feelings for you, child. I am here to test if you are capable of returning such feelings."

"Huh? Strong feelings? You mean someone…likes me?" Ash said, now very confused. Why was he dreaming about this?

"I would like you to find out what that means on your own, child. That is part of the test. However, that is all I will tell you. The rest, you must figure out on your own." The voiced boomed.

"Hey! That's it? How am I supposed to know what to do?" Ash replied.

"That, also, you must figure out for yourself. And now…" The voice trailed off. Suddenly, the orb grew brighter, and a beam of light blasted from the orb and hit Ash in the chest. Instead of being blasted back, however, Ash found himself surrounded by a yellow glow.

"What did you do!?" Ash questioned, his tone harder this time. This dream was seriously getting weird, and he didn't like it. At all.

"I only started the test. We will meet again Ash, Ketchum. Now however, it is time for you to awake." The orb then released a flash of light, and Ash covered his eyes. Then his head was filled with a buzzing noise. He held his head at he felt it grow louder and louder, until-

* * *

Ash rocketed awake, breathing hard. He looked around, and felt incredibly relieved to see he was in the pokémon center in Alto Mare, with his friends, safe and sound.

He wiped his forehead in exhaustion. That had been the weirdest dream he had ever had. The swirling mass of colors, the orb of light…all of it had been so surreal.

And yet, as he sat there, thinking about it, he couldn't help but notice how real it had felt. The orb of light gave off an aura that made it seem like it wasn't a figment of his imagination, that it was somehow…real. But how? It had been in his dream. It didn't make any sense.

After staring at the ceiling for a while, Ash looked at the clock. It was 1:30 in the mourning. Sighing, he prepared to go back to sleep, when _pain_ shot through his body.

Ash doubled over in shock. The pain had hit him so hard it had blinded him. He rolled over in pain, clutching his stomach, breathing heavily. He tried to scream, but when he opened his mouth no words came out. His head was then filled with a buzzing noise, which –to his horror- was the same sound he had hard in his dream. He rolled around the bed, trying to alert his friends to what was happening, but no matter how much he tried, no matter how much he tried to _scream _in pain…nothing came out.

The last thing Ash felt before blacking out was the sensation of falling.

* * *

The delightful tweeting of Pidgies was the sound that greeted Latias when she woke up. It was such a calming sound, and fitting of the excitement of a new day.

Smiling, she opened her eyes, and levitated. She stretched her arms, and yawned with a long "Laaaaaa" before wiping the sleep from her eyes. She looked around the garden, noting that some of the pokémon in the garden were just beginning to wake up. She said a loud "good morning!" to all of them, and they replied with greetings of their own.

She recalled the events of yesterday. The Team Rocket spies. Her love Ash, going with her to rescue Latios from them. The final fight to stop the rampaging DMA. And how her and brother Latios' stand against the incoming giant wave ended with the city saved, but in the end their attack had used up all of Latios' remaining energy. He had dies, and his soul was now residing in the Soul Dew. She looked over to the fountain, and bowed her head.

More over, Ash, the boy who had captured her heart, had left-

Wait.

Her eyes widened, and a big smiled dawned on her face. Ash was still in Alto Mare! He had said he wanted to stay longer!

She cried out in happiness, and immediately flew up through trees, turning invisible as she ascended. Ash and his friend had said they were staying at the pokémon center, and so she made her way there, smiling all the while.

Getting to the center took no time at all, considering that she knew the city like the back of her claw. She flew around the building, looking into the windows and trying to find the room they were in. She floated near one window, and noticed Brock and Misty and Pikachu…but no Ash.

She opened the window with psychic, dropped her invisibility and changed into her human form, just in case someone walked in. She walked over to the bed with Pikachu sleeping on the pillow, and noticed how messy the bed looked; the sheets were all shifted in one direction.

She smiled and made giggling motions. Ash _would _be the type of person to manage to stay asleep after falling out of bed. Pikachu probably had to shock him to get him to wake up all the time…

She walked over to the other side of the bed, and a very curious sight greeted her. On the floor were Ash's clothing, his pokéballs, and his hat. But what really caught her attention was what was in middle of all that clothing. There lay a Pikachu, a very strange looking on at that. Its hair on the top of its head was messy, and very uncharacteristic of a Pikachu. Its eyes were also definitely larger than a normal Pikachu, too.

_Where did this curious little fella come from? _Latias thought.

Then, the Pikachu began to stir. Its eyes popped open, and it lazily stood up and yawned…but not in pokespeak.

_Wait. It speaks human language!? _Latias thought in amazement.

"Ahhhhhhh," The Pikachu yawned, and blinked the sleep out of it's eyes. Then, it's eyes widened to comical proportions. "Wait! What happened last night?! The pain and the orb of light and the sound…"

The Pikachu began to trail off, and Latias was still shocked at the fact it could talk. It was also apparently a boy, judging from it's voi-waitholdupasecond.

_That Pikachu sounds a lot like…and he was in the middle of his…and the hair and eyes… _Now Latias found herself with her eyes widening.

_Very _hesitantly, Latias decided to test the very crazy theory she had.

(Ash?) She said very slowly. She watched as the Pikachu jumped about a foot in the air and turned around.

"Whose there!? Wait..Bia- no, Latias? What are you doing here? And when did you get so tall?" Ash questioned. Latias would have laughed at that, if she wasn't already in a state of shock..and hope? She shook her head. Now was not the time to think about that.

(Um…Ash? I think you need to look in the mirror, okay?) She said.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Uh, okay. There is one by the dresser. Could you.. uh…hold me up?"

Latias smiled warmly and nodded, and gathered Ash in her arms. (Now, please promise me you won't freak out? You're friends are still asleep.)

"…Is it bad?" Ash asked hesitantly

(Depends on what your definition of bad is…I guess?) Latias replied, uncertain as well.

She held him up to the mirror.

Five seconds passed. Then ten. Then fifteen.

Than Ash opened his mouth.

"I'M A PIKA-MMPH!"

Latias quickly covered his mouth. Right now, waking up Ash's friends and having this sight greet them was not the best of ways for them to wake up.

(Ash! I told you not to freak out!) She said quietly.

"I'm sorry! It's just…this happened again!" Ash replied quietly, silently happy that he hadn't woken up Brock, Misty, and Pikachu.

That got Latias extremely curious. Ash had gone through this before? How was that possible?

(Wait. What do you mean by again?)

"It's a long story…but I think we have time." Latias walked over to Ash's bed and sat down, and placed him on her lap. Ash than began the story of how he, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu had met Lily the traveling magician. She had said that she knew a way to make a trainer understand pokéspeach. He and his friends had then agreed to help her search for ingredients to make the spell. Once they were finished, she had performed the spell on Ash. Needless to say, it didn't work out as intended. Ash became a Pikachu, but only for a little while; he had changed back in about an hour or so later.

Latias smiled. Ash was definitely the kind of person who would be interested in a way to understand his pokémon better; he treated his pokémon as if they were family, and it would only fill him with joy if he were able to better communicate with them.

_And his love for his pokémon is one of the reasons I fell in love with him. One of the reasons why I am _in _love with him, _she thought dreamily.

"So that's the story. Wow! To think this would happen to me again. And I look the same as I did before!" He then looked down at himself, and looked back at his tail and wiggled it with a grin appearing on his face.

Overcome with how cute that was, Latias scooped up Ash in her arms and nuzzled him, cooing all the while.

"H-hey, Latias!" Ash said in embarrassment, a blush fully blooming on his face.

(Ash, you are so _adorable!) _She cooed happily, continuing to nuzzle him. She stopped and started to scratch him behind the ears, which Ash reacted to with equal parts embarrassment and enjoyment. It just felt so good! No wonder Pikachu practically melted in his mother arms when she did this to him.

After a little bit longer, she sat Ash down on her lap again. However, Ash found himself missing Latias's touch. It just felt…right. The feeling, which he had all but forgotten about, swelled in his stomach.

_What is this…? _Ash thought. He looked up at Latias, and she stared back. Then, noticing how intently they were looking at each other, the looked away in embarrassment.

_What was that all about? _Ash thought, confused.

(He looked at me so intently,) thought Latias at the same time. (Does he…maybe…) Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of yawning. It seemed that Brock, Misty, and Pikachu had woken up.

After blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Misty looked over and noticed Latias and jumped back in surprise.

"Bia- no wait, Latias!" she cried out, noticing the lack of a certain white beret "What are you doing here? And where is-" she abruptly stopped when she noticed the Pikachu. A Pikachu that looked rather familiar…

Latias waved back with a nervous smile. Ash did the same.

"Uhhh…hi Misty." Ash said very nervously.

Five seconds passed, and Misty immediately fell off the bed in shock. Latias noted how Misty seemed to be a lot faster on the uptake than Ash was. Recovering, Misty climbed back on her bed, and pointed at Ash.

"Ash! Y-y-y-you're a…a…a Pikachu again! How!?" Misty stammered out. Brock had the same reaction, and so did Pikachu.

"Yeah! Where did this come from!?" Brock exclaimed.

(What he said!) Pikachu added.

"I don't know! I was sleeping, and then I had this weird dream-the dream! That's it!" Ash exclaimed.

Everyone in the room gave Ash a confused stare. Ash looked at them all, and began to explain about the dream, about the orb of light, about how crazy the dream looked. In particular, he told them about how the orb had surrounded him with light.

"Then I woke up, and then a got hit by this blinding pain! And then I blacked out."

"So you're saying that this dream had something to do with your transformation?" Brock questioned.

"Yea. I mean, it makes sense, right?"

(Well, it does seem too convient…) Latias noted.

(Yes, it does.) Added Pikachu.

"What did they say?" Misty asked.

"They said it seemed convenient," Ash replied.

Brock _stared _at Ash. Then jumped and pointed at him.

"ASH! YOU CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND POKEMON THIS TIME!" Brock screamed out.

"Well, yeah your right and OH MY GOODNESS YOUR RIGHT!" Ash then jumped in excitement, and turned to Pikachu and Latias. "Pikachu, Latias! I can understand you know! Isn't that great!"

Pikachu nodded enthusiastically. How could he have missed that? Latias ended up reacting the same way. It seemed the shock of the situation had made her skip over that.

_He understands me now! I can actually talk to him! _Latias then scooped up Ash in her arms again and held him close and nuzzled him. Particularly close to a rather…soft area.

"Latias!" Ash cried out. But Latias still continued to hold and cuddle Ash, completely oblivious to the boy's embarrassment. Misty and Brock watched in amusement, with a little jealousness on Brocks part. Pikachu stared intently.

Suddenly, Latias stopped, and with Ash still in her arms, she transformed. Now, Ash found himself in an equally soft place; being held against Latias' soft feathers, that is.

(Ash, tell them we can talk about this more at Lorenzo and Bianca's house!)

"Huh? Why?" Ash replied, still blushing. All though, it did feel nice to be held this close to Latias…wait, where did that come from?

(Well, I think we can trust them with this. Plus, maybe they know something about this.) Latias replied.

"Oh. Good point!" Ash then relayed the information to his friends, and they nodded in response.

(Alright then, hang on Ash! And oh, I need to make a stop at the secret garden.) Then, not leaving any time for Ash to protest, she flew out the window.

Misty and Brock looked at each other, both noticing how affectionate Latias was acting towards Ash. Pikachu noticed it as well, and couldn't help but feel happy for the eon dragoness. However, he was worried. If this transformation wasn't permanent, then Latias's heart was bound to break. If it was…Ash's dream of becoming a pokémon master was no longer possible.

* * *

(Maybe this test that Ash was talking about has something to do with that.) Pikachu said, thinking aloud.

The trip back to the garden took no time at all, considering that Latias had made the trip numerous times before. Ash, on the other hand, greatly enjoyed the feeling of flying, and was a little disappointed when the trip ended. The two of them landed near the fountain, and Latias put Ash down.

"Wow, that was fun! We need to do that again." Ash said excitedly. "Oh and by the way, why did we stop at the garden?"

(It sure was! And I want to pay my respects to my brother) Latias replied. She then stared at Ash, and thought about his transformation. On one hand, she was happy; Ash was a pokémon now, so maybe…she could finally see her love end happily. On the other hand, she knew that there might be a chance that Ash didn't want to stay as a pokémon. And as much as she wanted to tell herself that she wouldn't mind that either because she loved him too much, she wasn't going to lie to herself and say it wouldn't break her heart.

She wished that, somehow everything would...

Latias' eyes widened.

_Wait. The wish I made last night…could it have…no, its just a coincidence. How could it have happened anyway?_

She shook her head. Then, she floated over to the fountain, and gazed into it. There sat the Soul Dew, and in it, the soul of Latios, her brother; the pokémon who had valiantly given his life to save them all.

_Thank you brother…for everything. _She bowed her head in respect. She then turned towards Ash.

(Hey Ash.) Latias said to boy-turned-Pikachu. She really had something she needed to say to him.

"Yea Latias?" Ash turned around from admiring the garden.

(I just wanted to say…thank you for staying. I really appreciate it.) Latias said sincerely. Ash put on a big grin in response.

"No problem! I saw that you wanted me to stay, so I decided to. I didn't want you to get sad." Ash said just as sincerely. He blushed when he noticed Latias staring at him intently. Then she floated on over to him and hugged him, but unlike the last hug which was more playful in nature, this one felt…deep, and wonderful. Ash felt the feeling in his chest swell in response, and he felt warm, but it wasn't just because of Latias' feathers.

_This feeling keeps coming back…_

(Thank you Ash. Thank you so much for staying.) Latias cooed. She set him down, and the two of them stared at each other, love filling Latias's heart, and the unknown feeling filling Ash's. The two of them blushed.

"Anyway," Ash quickly said to end the awkward moment, "Lets head over to the house and talk to Lorenzo and Bianca. Maybe they know something about what happened to me."

(Mm.) Latias nodded her head. She then floated low to the ground, low enough that Ash could climb on her back. (Well, get on Ash!) she said, smiling.

"Well…alright. Are you sure you can carry me?" Ash questioned.

(Yup! A Pikachu isn't very heavy.) Latias chirped in response.

Nodding, Ash climbed on. "Hey Latias, do you think we can go faster this time?" he questioned.

Latias gave Ash a mischievous grin, and Ash then thought that he had probably made a big mistake. (Alright, but you asked for it!) The two of them then took off into the sky, Ash screaming all the while, and Latias laughing.

As they flew, Latias couldn't help but put on a huge grin. Everything was just so…great right now. Ash was staying longer, and they were having so much fun right now. Things were looking up.

And unbeknownst to the two of them, a figure, invisible to the crowd, was watching the two of them. And smiling all the while.

* * *

Yup, Ashachus back! I know some of you were thinking of a Latios transformation, but honestly, better people are doing that. I cannot hope to top The Black Latios. It just isn't possible.


End file.
